When winter 2022 rolls around, it will have been three years since Brisbanites last feasted their way through the Night Noodle Markets. Dishing up hawker-style food and plenty of edible items on sticks, the event is an always-popular addition to the city’s culinary calendar — but, due to the pandemic, it hasn’t been able to set up its stalls since 2019.
That’s changing from Wednesday, June 15–Sunday, June 26. Yes, finally — after 2021 saw the markets announce dates and a new venue, then postpone, reschedule and ultimately cancel. With border closures and other everyday restrictions now seemingly behind us, here’s hoping that this year’s Night Noodle Markets can focus on what they do best: serving up delicious dishes to fill hungry stomachs.
As was meant to be the case last year, the event will make its debut at the Brisbane City Botanic Gardens, moving over from South Bank — so you’ll be enjoying a feed in quite the leafy surroundings. That’s where it’ll be based for the entire 12-night 2022 run, transforming the gardens into an openair Asian street food festival. Also on the bill: live entertainment and lion dances to go with all those stalls and pop-ups serving bites to eat and beverages to sip. And, you’ll be able to bring your pets along as well.
The full food lineup won’t be revealed until a bit closer to the markets; however, Hoy Pinoy, Flying Noodles, May’s Malaysian Hawker, Wonderbao, Gelato Messina and Twistto will all be in attendance. So, that means you’ll be tucking into everything from noodles and dumplings to bao and desserts, spanning options from local, interstate and nationwide eateries — and also including vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free and Halal options.
On the drinks list, there’ll be a Gage Roads Beer Garden, an Aperol Spritz Kombi Bar and the Dan Murphy’s Zero% Bar — with the latter following on from the bottle-o chain’s alcohol-free Melbourne venue and only serving up non-boozy beverages — plus Heaps Normal’s alcohol-free beers and Rekorderlig’s boozy ciders.
Also, if you’re keen to spend more time eating and less lining up, Mr Yum will also be on hand to allow you to order via your phone — skipping all the queues, selecting food from different vendors and paying in one transaction.
The markets will be open from 5–9pm Sunday–Wednesday, 5–10pm Thursday–Friday and 4–10pm on Saturdays, giving you ample chances to head by. That said, although entry is free, you’ll need to register for a ticket via the Night Noodle Markets website.
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